The Los Angeles Lakers are having a rather placid offseason that has irked their fanbase. Their superstar LeBron James was even ready to accept a pay cut, as high as $19 million, to accommodate Klay Thompson. Now that the franchise has missed out on the sharpshooter, LBJ has signed an almost full-scale maximum contract. A few hours ago, Shams Charania reported that James is looking to ink a two-year $104 million contract with the Lakers.
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The deal involves a player option for the second year with a no-trade clause. The move has now put the Lakers on the brink of the second apron of the luxury tax threshold which will severely hinge their capabilities to land another star player.
James will have a player option next summer and a no-trade clause as part of his new two-year, $104M maximum deal with the Lakers, sources said. https://t.co/Fm9VEVSkr7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 3, 2024
Moreover, Lakers fans have had enough moves that are not helping their squad, after a first-round exit in the 2024 playoffs. Many of them feel that Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka has failed the franchise by making ill-advised decisions.
An annoyed Lakers fan wished that the contract had a clause that included shipping off the Lakers GM, “Does this deal include trading Rob Pelinka?”
Does this deal include trading Rob Pelinka?
— Dwide Schrude (@DwideSchrude94) July 3, 2024
Another fan lamented that the franchise might have closed the curtains on acquiring a star-level player, “So it means no more big FA signings now for the lakers”.
So it means no more big FA signings now for the lakers
— MintSniper (@mintsniper) July 3, 2024
Meanwhile, another fan also took shots at the Lakers’ front office, stating that James has no hope that the team will do anything substantial in the free agency, thus, he ended up signing the contract after missing out on Thompson. The user commented, “LeBron basically told the front office “you guys are just a lost cause, there is no point for me to even wait a week”.
LeBron basically told the front office “you guys are just a lost cause, there is no point for me to even wait a week”.
— Suren Ayrapetyan (@SAyrapetyanNYL) July 3, 2024
A fan rolled out the famous LeGM allegations that are becoming concrete with each day, “Bron really run LA, Bron tell them what he wants and Lakers reps just say “you got it boss.””
Bron really run LA, Bron tell them what he wants and Lakers reps just say “you got it boss” 💰💯
— Jorell Hill (@HellRell1990) July 3, 2024
These are just a few of the instances proving that many Lakers fans are up in arms about the franchise’s latest moves. Most of them don’t blame James for taking the deserved money but are pessimistic because of the Lakers’ upper management.
The Purple and Gold are unable to make a huge splash during free agency and under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the route to bring pieces via trade has also been complicated. If the Lakers suffer yet another play-in-type season, they might have to change their upper-level personnel.
